Mentions and tools in Ask
Use plugin mentions and capability-aware tools to steer a request, and understand why some requests need no tool call at all.
OpenFeather does not call a tool for every message. It selects only the tools a request actually requires, which keeps answers fast and keeps unnecessary data access at zero. Mentions are the explicit way to steer that selection.
What a mention does
Mentioning a plugin or channel in the composer marks the request as targeting that connected source. It raises the priority of the matching capability, but it never bypasses the same identity, workspace, connection and scope gates that any other path must pass.
- Open the plugin or channel selector in the composer.
- Choose the connected source you want the request to use.
- Write the question as normal — the mention is already attached.
Capability-aware tool selection
The capability router keeps domains isolated. A finance request does not scan commerce plugins, a maps request does not load finance tools, and a greeting does not hydrate workspace context at all.
- Each domain has an explicit capability set.
- Tools outside the required set are never loaded into the request.
- A request with no required external tool skips retrieval entirely.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a mention guarantees a fresh API call — the planner may still find the data already available in conversation context.
- Mentioning three plugins at once and expecting a merged answer; ask separate questions for reliable results.
- Expecting a tool to run for a purely conversational question.
- Using a mention to try to reach an account you are not connected to.
When no tool is called at all
A request that needs no external capability — a greeting, a definition, a rewrite, or a product question answered from documentation — skips tool selection entirely. That is why simple questions are fast and cost little.
Common questions
Why did nothing happen when I mentioned a plugin?
Most often the plugin is not connected in the active workspace, or the request was answered from existing context without needing the tool.
Can a mention reach data I am not authorised for?
No. Mentions change routing preference only. Authorization is enforced independently.
Do mentions cost extra credits?
Mentioning a plugin does not itself cost anything. Any tool work the request actually performs is accounted for normally.